But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. – Galatians 5:22-23

As a writer I’m involved in a lot of different projects, many of which run simultaneously. Today, for example, I’m going in three separate directions. First, I need to track down a couple more sources for an article I’m writing about some Methodist preachers in Florida. At the same time I have a proposal due this afternoon with editors at AllProDad (a men’s resource website I write for). Then, and for the first time in three months, I just pulled up the file for the new novel I’m supposed to have ready by Christmas.

I guess blogging makes four, but this is really more of a writing “warm-up” exercise than an assignment.

Reaching tens of thousands of men:

I’m going try to make this post count by thinking out loud around the proposal I have to turn in later today.

My editors at AllProDad are big on metrics, so they pay attention if any new article garners anywhere near ten thousand views the first week it runs. My most recent column – 5 Signals Dads Should Stop Sending to Their Children about Marriage – did that and more, pulling in 22,437 readers in seven days.

In addition to feeling good about the exposure, the result reminded me that America’s dads are in constant need of strong, positive messages to counter the torrent of poor examples and flat out bad advice that likely floods their consciousness twenty-four seven.

With that in mind it’s not difficult to come up with a couple of new proposals.

FIRST IDEA:

How about this for a proposed article?

Nine “Manly” qualities your son won’t learn playing video games or following the news:

The latest data suggest that teenage boys are spending more time than ever before immersed in video games. A corollary truth is that every hour spent on-line gaming is one less hour engaged in relationship building with real people in real time.

Dads may not be able to follow their kids to school every day or turn into an avatar to stalk them online. But we can be more intentional when it comes to investing the time we do have to teach what it really means to be “manly” and to counter the destructive messages perpetuated on screen and in the incessant news cycle.

Dads may not be able to follow their kids to school every day or turn into an avatar to stalk them online. But we can be more intentional when it comes to investing the time we do have…

At AllProDad we feel called to serve everyone of every background, reaching men from all faiths and all religions, including those who claim no faith at all. But at the same time, everything we write is generated from principles rooted in the Bible. So if this article idea is accepted then I will follow the introduction with nine bullet-points lifted directly from Galatians 5.

I plan to offer alternative values to the false narrative subscribed to by so much of 21st Century American culture: Contrary to what we see splashed all over the media, REAL MEN SAY “NO!” to violence, posturing, misogyny, bullying, hate, aggression, domination, and lust for power and control – as modeled in politics, gaming, and many social media platforms. 

Instead, how about teaching our sons, “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control?” (Galatians 5:22-23). How about a manliness that is more like Jesus?

The other idea is probably worth a post of its own. And so – if nothing else comes up – I will share it tomorrow.

Peace and love – DEREK

Real men say “no” to violence, posturing, misogyny, bullying, hate, aggression, domination, and lust for power and control – as modeled in politics, gaming, and many social media platforms.